In 2011 WCHM received funding from the ACT Office for Women to deliver empower—a leadership training program tailored to the needs of older women and women from multicultural backgrounds.

empower aimed to give women from these groups the skills, knowledge, and confidence they needed in order to take up community leadership and decision-making positions. In particular, the training focused on preparing women for involvement on boards, government committees, and community consultation processes. This was because previous WCHM research had found that older women and women from CALD backgrounds faced a number of barriers to assuming decision-making or leadership roles in the community.

The training was delivered in partnership with the Health Care Consumers’ Association of the ACT. Overall, around 20 women completed the course and received certificates at the conclusion of the training. All in all, feedback from participants was very positive, with one stating: “The course has given me the incentive to pursue my interest through recognition of my self-worth that I am capable to make a change.”